SOAR Award Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in the SOAR Awards. The following guidelines are being provided to help you successfully submit an award nomination and to help promote your business to be selected for one of the Online Community Awards.

The Awards

Joe Ruby Collaboration in Aging Service Award

Joe Ruby served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Direction Home Akron Canton Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities from 1981 until 2016. During his tenure he did so much to encourage collaboration in an effort to produce better outcomes for older adults including Community Based Care Transitions Program, Community Care Coordination and provider alignment in a variety of service areas. This award will go to a group of people or organizations who improved services to older adults through a collaborative effort in Summit County.

Age Friendly City Award

The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Age-Friendly Cities project has developed a checklist as a tool for assessing and making our cities age friendly. This award will go to a city in Summit County who is making efforts in making their city more age friendly.

Innovations in Aging Award

This award goes to a person or organization who has done something innovative in the last year in Summit County to serve older adults. The innovation can be in any category as long as the outcome improved the lives of older adults.

Ed Kaufmann Leadership in Aging Award

In 1977 Ed Kaufmann became the leader of Mature Services and took a struggling, startup nonprofit to a multi-service organization that empowers seniors to thrive in our community. He led the organization until his death in 2011. His legend lives on today in the mission of VANTAGE Aging (formerly Mature Services). This award will go to a leader in Summit County who through their leadership has improved the lives of older adults.

Aging in Place Award

A service provider in Summit County who has helped older adults stay in their homes.

Aging Environment Excellence Award

A housing service in Summit County who provides excellence in their living environments for older adults.

Age Friendly Business Award

A business in Summit County who strives to be friendly to older adults in how they do business.

Guidelines

Nomination guidelines are as follows:

A person and/or organization can only receive each specific award once in a lifetime.

Any person and/or organization nominated and NOT receiving an award, will be provided the option to re-submit their nomination with edits for another two (2) consecutive years from the original nomination. (Example: If you were nominated in 2017, you are valid as a nominee for 2018 and 2019). You would have to resubmit again in 2020.

Any person or organization can nominate for each award. If nominating more than one person and/or in more than one category, an individual application must be completed. Nominees can only be nominated in one award category. Nominees can submit an entry for a person in one category and for an agency in another category, but each nomination must be UNIQUE to the award category. Multiple entries will not be reviewed. Applications may be completed online for or you may print and complete a Nomination Form and return to the address below by the deadline.

The deadline for submitting nominations is April 1, 2019.

All nominees will receive email notification of their nomination along with a badge and widget they may use on their website and/or social media to announce their nomination.

Our independent panel of judges will review all SOAR Award applications and determine the top three in all categories. Top three nominees will be notified by email by April 15th, 2019.

Each of the top three nominees will be provided a complimentary ticket to the SOAR Awards, to be held May 2nd at The Tangier in Akron. Additional tickets may be purchased for $75 on our website. Winners will be announced the evening of the event.

Each of the top three nominees will be asked to provide a 1-minute digital video or 5-10 digital photographs to be used at the award presentation. VANTAGE Aging reserves the right to edit for time and content.

Ineligible entries may be disqualified at any phase of the selection process without notification, as determined by the SOAR Awards Committee.

VANTAGE Aging reserves the right to suspend or cancel the SOAR Awards at any time. By participating in the SOAR Awards, whether as a nominee, a voter, or otherwise, each participant agrees to release and hold the organizers, its employees, officers, directors, or other representatives, harmless from any and all losses, damages, rights, claims and actions of any kind in connection with the wards, including, without limitation, personal injury, death, and property damage, and claims based on publicity rights, defamation, or invasion of privacy. Participation in the SOAR Awards is prohibited in jurisdiction where participation is prohibited by law.

Any person associated with the SOAR Awards hereby grants us the irrevocable, perpetual, royalty free transferable right to use, reproduce, distribute, display and perform and photographs, video, or other images in which a person or representatives of an organization, may be included at the event.

Tools and Resources for Nominees:

If you are nominated for a SOAR Award, we want you to celebrate your success. As a nominee, you are being recognized by the community as an individual or organization that cares about aging successfully in Summit County, and that should be celebrated!

If you have been nominated for a SOAR Award, you will receive a badge with widget code to embed in your website and share on social media. While you may not receive an actual award, you are still welcome to spread the news of your good work to help raise awareness of your efforts.

If you are nominated as a finalist for the Judged Award, be sure to share your great news:

Focus on the importance of your nomination by issuing a press release and submitting your story to local media outlets. We have even provided you with a Boiler Plate Press Template.

Share your badge on your website with a link to the awards page.

Include your badge in your email signature.

Post a story on a blog, website, newsletter, e-blast, or share on social media. Encourage your personal and professional network to support you by sponsoring, attending, or purchasing an advertisement for the SOAR Awards Program.